Paranormal Romance Blog

Categories: paranormal books

Julie Kagawa brings us a world of fantastic creatures, dangerous fey courts, and faeries as you’ve never seen them before in her debut YA novel THE IRON KING, on sale now from Harlequin TEEN. Learn more about this first installment in the Iron Fey series from Julie, and be sure to check out THE IRON KING video and Book Browse preview!

by Julie Kagawa, author of The Iron King (Book 1 of the Iron Fey series from Harlequin TEEN, February 2010)

I’ll be honest: writing guest posts for me is hard. I think I started and erased the beginning of this post a dozen times before something finally stuck to the page. I don’t know why it’s so difficult to talk about myself. It would be easier if I was a world traveler or big game hunter or once ran with the bulls in Spain. Then I could say something like: “I’ve wanted to hunt lions ever since I was two and rescued my doll from a rogue cougar in the backyard,” and everyone would ooh and ahh and hang on every word I said.

And I’ve gone off on a bit of a tangent, haven’t I? Right, back to what I’m supposed to be talking about. My name is Julie Kagawa, and my first YA novel The Iron King will be debuting with Harlequin TEEN this February. It’s about a girl named Meghan Chase who, on her sixteenth birthday, discovers her little brother has been stolen by faeries, and she must venture into Faeryland to get him back. Along the way, she discovers her own faery heritage, falls in love with an enemy prince, and must face down an ancient evil to rescue her brother. It’s a fun story, with goblins and phouka and faery princes and danger and romance. And Grimalkin of course. Can’t forget Grimalkin.

A lot of people have asked me where the idea for The Iron King came from. It all started with a single character, Meghan, and the story sort of evolved around her. Meghan is a normal teen who is pulled into this dangerous, fantastic world, and how she reacts drives the story forward. The other important element of the book is the Iron fey—the faeries of progress, technology, and the modern world, and how they clash with the ancient, traditional fey like Oberon and Titania. It was a lot of fun to write, albeit a bit frantic, since I finished it as part of NaNoWrimo, where you must write 50,000 words in 30 days.

You know, I’d imagine NaNo is almost as frantic as running with the bulls in Spain. If you fall behind, you’ll get trampled, either by hooves or an accumulating word quota. And NaNo lasts for a month, whereas bull running only lasts a few minutes, depending on how soon you fall down. Okay, I’m reaching. Check out The Iron King in February, if you like. Meghan’s adventures are much more exciting.

Want to know more about The Iron King? Check out this great book trailer and read the first3 chapters of the book using the Browse the Book widget below!

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Categories: paranormal books

Gena Showalter’s awaited sequel to Playing with Fire is now on sale! Twice as Hot is in stores (online and otherwise )…but before you run out to buy it, Gena’s here to guest blog about how she couldn’t resist torturing her superpowered heroine in Twice as Hot….

by Gena Showalter, author of Twice as Hot (HQN Books, Feb. 2010)

What could be more fun than a woman developing unexpected superpowers?  That same woman trying to plan her wedding to a sexy government agent, of course!  “Wedding dress” is suddenly synonymous with “bonfire,” and a paraster—paranormal disaster—waits around every corner.

I know, I know.  How could I do that to sweet – and totally non-sarcastic, always on the up and up — Belle Jamison?

Hint:  I absolutely, unequivocally enjoy torturing my characters.  And do I ever torture my darling Belle… Her powers over the four elements – earth, air, wind and fire — are on the fritz in a bad, bad way, her best friend and empath sidekick Tanner is in a funk since his girlfriend dropped him, her other best friend Sherridan has moved in and is desperate to develop a superpower of her own, no matter the consequences, and Belle’s wedding is literally going up in flames around her.

See?  How could I not enjoy that?  I mean, after Playing With Fire released in 2006 – a story about how Belle first develops her superpowers and meets Rome (who secretly plans to neutralize her but ends up falling for her instead), Belle insisted I tell the rest of her story.  Honest.  She didn’t beg me to leave her alone, and I didn’t tell her to stuff it.

You see, in Playing With Fire, there was one narrative thread that I did not tie up (and could not tie up, at the time).  One thread that stuck with me all these years.  Was Belle the one and only woman for Rome Masters?

I knew the answer — he belongs with me!  Uh, never mind, scratch that, didn’t meant to say it aloud — but Rome’s ex, the world’s best psychic, never agreed.  Maybe because she’s always wanted him back, and I threatened to pull her hair out, but that’s neither here nor there.  And then, when Rome returns from a mission, minus only his memories of Belle, Belle begins to wonder, as well.  Are they or aren’t they?  Can they or can’t they?

Let’s face it.  She needed to know.  She deserved to know.  We women have to stick together, so I was more than willing to help her out.  Totally altruistic on my part, I assure you.  I’m a giver.  I didn’t do it simply to spend more time with my alpha warrior Rome.  So, after a four-year wait (I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry) Belle finally gets to learn the truth.  And I hope you enjoy discovering that truth as much as I – uh, she — did.

Wishing you all the best,
Gena Showalter

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Categories: paranormal books

If you like your paranormal romances with a touch of spice, you’ll love Christine McKay’s paranormal-themed erotic short stories from Spice Briefs! Christine’s here today to tell us about her latest release, Loch Dragon’s Lady, a sensual tale of shapeshifting and magic in Scotland…

by Christine McKay, author of Loch Dragon’s Lady (Spice Briefs, January 2010)

Hero with a Scottish accent. Check. Hero wearing a kilt. Check again. Shape-shifter who doesn’t have a feline or canine alter-ego or hangs out with vampires. Yep. Heroine who isn’t a super bad-ass, have a chip on her shoulder, or the personality of  a door mat. Bingo! Love paranormal stories set in the contemporary world? Looking for a little palate-clearing minty freshness before returning to the land of vampires, werewolves, and zombies? Try my Harlequin Spice Brief, Loch Dragon’s Lady.

Hi. Christine McKay here. My second Harlequin story, Loch Dragon’s Lady,  was just released on New Year’s Day. The little known Outer Hebrides of Scotland, a place too rugged to be tamed by any group of people but as luring as a Siren’s voice to composers,  painters and the occasional bold tourist,  is home to Robert Dunyveg, a water dragon shape-shifter. Though gruff and antisocial, he’s no Loch Ness monster. Did I mention he likes to wear nothing more than a kilt?

Enter Ellen Kildonan. Despite the surname, she’s never set a foot in Scotland. When she’s willed the deed to Robert’s island by a little known relative, Ellen can’t sell it sight unseen. Regardless of the season, a trip to the Hebrides is anything but tame. Trapped on her island by the weather, injured, and stalked by a strange man who’s definitely not 100% human, Ellen’s forced to confront uncomfortable mysteries about herself and her ancestors. Cue tortured music.

What can I say? The Hebrides called to me. Check out National Geographic’s very timely pictorial article: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/01/hebrides/warren-text/2. To call the land gorgeous would be an insult. Mysterious, captivating, and dangerous are better words. One needs a strong hero to learn to live in harmony with such land. And Robert’s my man, er, dragon. A paranormal creature like Robert requires an equally confident and not-quite-human woman. Thus, Ellen, was crafted. Loch Dragon’s Lady packs a lot into a little space: paranormal creatures, romance, sex, villagers with pitchforks and torches (just kidding). I admit to being envious of Ellen. Who wouldn’t want their own dragon?

Since I have about a 100 words left in my blog, I’d like to mention Carnal Magic, also a paranormal Spice Brief of mine released this past October. After the life-changing and gut-wrenching loss of her fiancé, Elaine turns to magic to fill the void. Not the hocus-pocus, pull-the-rabbit-out-of-the-hat sleight of hand, but the magic of incantations, formulas, rituals, and of course, danger. Her carefully built spell culminates in a All Hallow’s Eve disaster that belches up, not her lost fiancé, but an otherworldly stranger who has the power to steal a person’s soul. Sorry, no demons here. Just a formidable but lonely specter looking for a taste of love. In exchange for it, he’s willing to bring Elaine’s fiancé back from the dead…if…and only if, Elaine finds no passion lying within his embrace. It’s a wager she’s willing to make, but, as she’s learning, those who cast spells are sometimes the easiest to be-spell.

I hate flying – it’s a control thing. Imagine my excitement at finding out this year’s Romantic Times convention and the National Romance Writer’s conference are both within reasonable driving distance. Hurrah! If you happen to attend either event and recognize my name, please stop to say “Hello!” I’m working on having book plates designed and even if you’re an e-book reader only, I’d be happy sign one for you. Want to see more of what I write? Check out my website, www.ChristineMcKay.com.

Categories: contests • paranormal books

Lori Devoti, author of the new Silhouette Nocturne Bite LURED, has a tough choice for paranormal romance fans: would you rather meet a hellhound or a werewolf? Read Lori’s guest-post on the differences between these two kinds of sexy shifters and make your pick in the comments by Sunday, Jan. 25 for a chance to win a free book!

by Lori Devoti, author of Lured (Silhouette Nocturne Bites, Jan. 2010) and The Hellhound King (Silhouette Nocturne, Feb. 2010)

This year I have three releases coming out with Nocturne. Two feature werewolves (Lured, Nocturne Bite January/ Zombie Moon, Nocturne novel, July) and one a hellhound (The Hellhound King, Nocturne novel, February).  I have to admit I love them both, but if I HAD to choose I’d pick…no I’m not going to say. (grin) I want you to tell me!

But to be fair, before we can really discuss which you would rather meet in a dark alley, or maybe in a candle-lit bathtub, I should probably outline a few differences for you.

Both werewolves and hellhounds are shape-shifters, and both are canine when in their other form. But hellhounds’ shifts aren’t tied to anything except their own whims. They also have some other cool powers like blending (making the eye go right past them when they stand still) and shimmering (moving from place to place in the blink of an eye).

You can put a bunch of hellhounds together, but one alpha will quickly fight his way to the top. And all in all they would prefer to be out on their own.

So far as becoming a hellhound, you can’t. You have to be born that way.

They also have a bit of a tortured past. Over millennia, they have been owned by others and forced to hunt and fight. Now they are free, but still bear the scars of that past.

It makes them rather sweet—uh, no it doesn’t.

Now for my weres….you are probably pretty up on werewolf talents, but I’ll do a quick rundown.

In my world, you can be made into one. In fact in Zombie Moon, my hero chose to become a were for a very specific purpose. (Hint it’s given away in the title.) In Lured, my heroine is also made into a were and not by her own choosing.

Weres can’t shimmer, but they are stronger than an average man, can heal faster, and move faster.  And, unlike hellhounds, they form packs. In fact living on your own means you are a rogue, which in werewolf politics means you are a loose cannon and a big walking target for the local pack alpha.

They don’t have the tortured past of the hellhounds, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have issues. They are rare and bagging a were would be quite a prize—not to mention dealing with all the other weres and their issues.

Most importantly though, both hellhounds and werewolves are super sexy and if they are playing a hero in my book, alphas.

So, what do you think? Would you go for the male who was once used to run in the wild hunt, capturing lost souls? Or the wolf who roams free and is tied at least to some degree to the changes in the moon?

Who would you date and who would you want to be?

For me without question it would be…nope, not going to say. You just can’t make me choose.

But if you want to choose, you can get a shot at winning one of my books (2009 release or earlier). Just post your choice (hellhound or werewolf) and why here. I’ll pick a winner and post it in these comments Sunday. (ship to U.S. and Canada only)

Lori

Categories: paranormal books

Author Susan Krinard rounds out our posts from the authors of the Heart of Darkness anthology, talking about her story “Lady of the Nile”. Read on to learn how Susan wrote this story to bring a little bit of ancient Egypt to life…

by Susan Krinard, author of “Lady of the Nile” in the Heart of Darkness anthology (HQN Books, January 2010)

I’ve always been fascinated by Egyptian mythology and culture. It’s both exotic and familiar; the people of Egypt believed in a seemingly endless number of gods, and yet the Egyptians wrote beautiful poetry, had a sophisticated legal and bureaucratic system, and ruled their world for thousands of years.

When Heart of Darkness gave me a chance to continue with characters I’d introduced in my HQN novel Lord of Sin—Lady Tameri, Dowager Duchess of Vardon, and mild-mannered scholar Leo Erskine–I saw a great opportunity to mingle my interest in the Egyptians with reincarnation and 19^th century adventure. The mix was perfect for “Lady of the Nile”, since Lady Tameri, member of the Widows’ Club (also introduced in Lord of Sin) believes herself to be a reincarnated Egyptian princess and priestess of the goddess Isis, or Aset … a claim that proves to be true, in spite of Leo’s skepticism and attempts to prove that she is delusional.

There is a tradition in books and movies involving some combination of Egyptian mysticism and the Victorian milieu, which often involves malignant cults conducting sacrifices of beautiful virgins. In my story, I chose as my villain not an evil cult but an adventurer, Alastair Boyd, lost in the desert after the war in the Sudan. Given a choice between death and becoming a vessel for a deity, Boyd was possessed by the Egyptian God of Evil, Sutekh. He, Tameri and Leo are thrown headlong into a millennia-old war between the gods of fertility, renewal, and life—Aset and Asar—and the God of Storms.

In traditional Egyptian mythology, Asar, or Osiris, was one of the first great gods and rulers of Egypt. He was the husband of Aset and the brother of Sutekh. Aset discovered grain and barley, which the primitive Egyptians knew nothing about, and Asar taught them how to plant and harvest and turn it into bread. He taught the Egyptians how to make wine, introduced poetry, and created laws to govern the people in peace.

Sutekh, however, was jealous of his brother, and conspired to kill him. He tricked Asar into climbing into a beautiful chest, where Asar died and was cast adrift on the Nile. Aset frantically looked for him, and when she found his body, she hid it in the rushes.

But Sutekh wasn’t done with Asar yet; he found his brother’s body and tore it into fourteen pieces. (Gruesome, isn’t it?). Aset gathered up the pieces, “reassembled” Asar, and gave him the funeral rites. He went on to rule the Dead until the time of the last battle between Good and Evil, when his son Heru and his brother Sutekh would fight for the rule of the world.

I chose to alter the legend for “Lady of the Nile”, bringing Aset and Asar together again in the perpetual battle with Evil. Once upon a time, in Egypt, they had chosen two mortals to serve as their vessels, but the peasant soldier and priestess who willingly gave their lives for this purpose were killed by Sutekh before the ceremony was completed.

For thousands of years Sutekh has been conspiring to rise again from his long exile and cast the world into darkness. When he finds a perfect host in Alastair Boyd, Aset and Asar know they must return to the world to fight him. Once again Maahes and Tameri are called to make the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of mankind.

I had great fun writing about Tameri and Leo/Maahes, bringing a little part of ancient Egypt to life. Egypt is such fertile ground for fascinating storytelling that I hope it eventually becomes more popular as setting for romance.

Learn more about the novellas in Heart of Darkness by checking out Maggie Shayne’s post about her novella “Love Me to Death” here and Gena Showalter’s post about “The Darkest Angel” here. Plus, use the widget below to read excerpts from all three novellas in the anthology:

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Categories: Uncategorized

Linda Thomas-Sundstrom’s werewolf romance series Wolf Moons continues this month with a third story from Silhouette Nocturne Bites, Moon Marked…but that’s not the only news Linda has about this sexy series! Read on as Linda updates readers on what books to look for next…

by Linda Thomas-Sundstrom, author of Moon Marked (Silhouette Nocturne Bites, January 2010)

Hi paranormal fans. I’m Linda Thomas-Sundstrom, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have been asked to write a little something about my Silhouette Nocturne series “Wolf Moons.” When you’re as into the world of werewolves as I am, it’s such a joy to share the labors of love… and my sexy Weres.

Thanks for joining me here today!

I’ve blogged here before about being a paranormal writer through and through, and loving every minute of it. That blog was last year, when I had my first two Nocturne Bites out, Blackout and Wolf Bait. Those Bites kicked off my Wolf Moons series… and drove home the fact that I could be so totally engrossed in this world I’d created, I didn’t want it to end.

I had never been so inspired as I was when telling the stories of the characters in these books, and I wrote feverishly until I had five stories finished, with all sorts of characters from them showing up in the other books as well as their own tales.

This, for a writer, is some sort of writing bliss.

Werewolf bliss.

First though, let me tell you this, because I am so excited, I have to get it out front and center.

My Wolf Moons series was selected by Nocturne editors to include the entire series in print in 2010. A first for Silhouette. So, my upcoming February book Red Wolf (see the uber-sexy, yummy red cover) contains my Blackout Bite as bonus material. And my back-to-back March book Wolf Trap (see the sexy blue cover) contains my Wolf Bait Bite as bonus material.

Two books… four stories… four couples fighting to deal with rogue werewolf bites in sizzling,  sultry Miami. Hot stuff in the city. Werewolves to the max!

And then there’s this month’s (January) new Nocturne Bite – Moon Marked. Do check it out. Here’s the Nocturne blurb about it.

In the secret war between humans and werewolves, Jonathan Baird and Nikki Reese were natural enemies. Born with the genetic gifts needed to join the secret society of hunters, Nikki had been raised to see all Lycans as her enemy…even if hunting them brought on a powerful craving for sexual release.

It was that craving that drew werewolf Jonathan to Nikki. Though he also sought the rogue creatures that threatened the secrecy of his people’s existence, his organization sent him to watch her…but he lusted after her, too. When a hunt goes bad and Nikki is infected with the Lycan virus, Jonathan couldn’t resist coming to her aid, igniting an insatiable desire between them. Will their passion bring together the two rivals, or will old loyalties die hard?

Another bit of werewolf bliss, I have to tell you. I wrote this one by hand in a notebook while in France at a family wedding. My family hardly saw me, I was writing so furiously. If there weren’t photos of me at the celebration, apres the date, I couldn’t have proved to my family I was there. Ha.

So here’s the thing about my world. I write stories I want to star in. I write about males I want to . . . star with. (What did you think I was going to say there, eh?) Since I love werewolves, and those big alphas are so completely hot, I give them females who are spunky, strong individuals in their own rights. I owe them that. And also — one of my heroines is the werewolf! Haven’t you ever wondered what a glistening  full moon might feel like to a female Were as it drips over her like spilt honey and sparks her hunger for a hunky male?

My werewolf characters are human most of the time. I have Dylan Landau, a deputy D.A, and Parker Madison, an ER doctor. Dana Delmonico, a Miami cop. Mat Wilson, a psychiatrist turned detective. Tory McKidd, a genetic Lycan female with blood that dates back to before The Flood. These people came alive for me, a writers dream that doesn’t always happen, I have to tell you. These characters sang to me of their stories and their lives, as if I really  knew them. And they were all people (!) I’d like to know, myself.

There. That’s a wee bit about me, my happiness over working on and completing this Wolf Moons series, and my sadness that  the writing is over. The good news is that I’ve signed on for a few more books and will be writing for much of this year, hopefully feverishly getting down the stories of more heros and heroines who get under my skin.

I sure hope they’ll get under yours.

I am so excited about my Wolf Moons series. (Can you tell?) I am thrilled right down to my underpants. I hope my enthusiasm for the wolves is contagious.

Yes — If you’re a reader or writer who loves to really get involved, immersed, in the world of the books you’re reading or writing, please do tell us your experiences today. Every now and then we get lucky… and we write exactly what we mean to write. Every once in a while, readers can find that special book that draws them in and leaves them wanting more. I wonder if readers can tell when a writer truly enjoys the process? I like to think so.

I’m here, listening.

Please do say hello.

And give Moon Marked, Red Wolf, and Wolf Trap a try.

xo

Linda

www.lindathomas-sundstrom.com

Categories: paranormal books

What happens when you mix a firecracker harpy and iron-willed angel? Gena Showalter’s latest Lords of the Underworld novella, “The Darkest Angel”, available now in the Heart of Darkness anthology! Gena guest-blogs today to tell us why writing this story was both fun AND torture…

by Gena Showalter, author of “The Darkest Angel” in  Heart of Darkness anthology (HQN Books, January 2010)

Writing a book can be serious fun – or serious torture (you know I’m talking to you, Gideon, keeper of Lies).  The Darkest Angel, part of the Heart of Darkness anthology, was a combination of the two. Bianka is a firecracker Harpy who sins at will.  Lysander is an iron-willed angel tasked with killing demons.   Put them together and hello, sparks.  And resistance.

Lysander knows that angels have one temptation.  His just happens to be Bianka – a fact that shocks him.  He’s never known desire before.  But, oh, does he know it now.  Watching him fight his attraction…watching her encourage it…I’m smiling, as well as shaking my head in exasperation. Basically, I sat on the sidelines for some scenes, taking notes as this couple took over every thought in my head.  For other scenes, I felt like I entered a boxing match.  They didn’t want to want each other.  But sometimes, people just can’t help themselves.  Here’s an excerpt from one of their first interactions:

“I did not bring you here to kill you.” His voice was rich, sultry, a sin all its own. And yet, there was a layer of absolute truth to it, and she suspected she would have believed anything he said. As if whatever he said was simply fated, meant to be. Unchangeable. “I want you to emulate my life. I want you to learn from me.”

“Why?” What would he do if she touched him? “Wait. Don’t answer. Let’s make out first.”

“Bianka,” he said, his patience clearly waning. “This is not a game. Do not make me bind you to my bed.”

“Ohh, now that I like. Sounds kinky.” She darted around him, running her fingertips over his cheek, his neck. “You’re
as soft as a baby.”

He sucked in a breath, stiffened. “Bianka.”

“But better equipped.”

“Bianka!”

She patted his butt. “Yes?”

“You will cease that immediately!”

“Make me.” She laughed, the amused, carefree sound echoing between them.

Scowling, he reached out and latched onto her upper arm. There wasn’t time to evade him; shockingly, he was faster
than she was. He jerked her in front of him, and dark, narrowed eyes stared down at her.

“There will be no touching. Do you understand?”

“Do you?” Her gaze flicked to his hand, still clutching her arm. “At the moment, you’re the one touching me.”

Lysander, of course, hated me at the time.  He felt like I was ruining his life and sometimes battled me as much as he did Bianka.  Bianka, I think, stole my car keys out of spite.  At least, that’s what I’m telling my husband since they disappeared from my purse.

She’ll give them back, though, I have no doubt.  Bianka and Lysander are now my biggest fans, and they’re helping me torture other Lords of the Underworld characters (yes, Amun, keeper of Secrets, I’m talking to you)

To learn more about the stories in Heart of Darkness, read Maggie Shayne’s post about her novella “Love Me to Death” here, and look for Susan Krinard’s guest blog on Jan. 19! Plus, use the widget below to read excerpts from all three novellas in the anthology:

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Categories: paranormal books

Author Maggie Shayne wanted to write an old-fashioned spine-tingler for her novella in the new HQN paranormal romance anthology Heart of Darkness… and use a concept she’s wanted to write about for years. Find out what it is as Maggie guest-blogs about “Love Me to Death” on Harlequin’s Paranormal Romance Blog…

by Maggie Shayne, author of “Love Me to Death” in  Heart of Darkness anthology (HQN Books, January 2010)

In “Love Me to Death,” my story in the anthology HEART OF DARKNESS, I did something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time; I wrote a reincarnation story.

I love, love, loved the idea of bringing someone back from a prior lifetime that ended too soon, with important things left undone.  I’ve been fascinated with the idea of a story like that since I read THE REINCARNATION OF PETER PROUD as a kid.  (All my childhood reading was of the paranormal sort, beginning with Poe in the third grade.)

Anyway, I loved the notion.  I don’t necessarily buy into it, though.  At least, not the way it’s depicted here.  Personally, I suspect that when we die, our souls blend back into the mix of All That Is, until they’re scooped out again by some cosmic dipper, and poured into a new body. So I think we are parts of many when we return again.  In that way, all the knowledge we’ve gathered in each lifetime is shared with everyone, and we all grow a little wiser.

But my beliefs, like everything else in life, are constantly evolving and I’m open minded.  In this story, however, I stuck to the more common notion of reincarnation.

Another issue I tackled in this one, and necessarily, given the plot, was having quite a large age gap between hero and heroine.  It might bother some people, but it was another area I’d been hoping to tackle, since I’m in just such a relationship–and happier than I’ve ever been in my life.  In fact, I didn’t really have the space in a novella length piece to give that issue as much attention as I would have liked, so you can look for me to take it on in some future book, for sure.

I also wanted, in this story, to write a good, old fashioned spooky feeling, spine-tingler, and I think I accomplished that as well.  As a kid, I loved nothing better than a real scary movie.  I don’t care much for today’s slasher flicks, and don’t even get me started on the ones where people get tortured to death. Ick!  I like my scary movies done honestly.  Don’t gross me out.  Make me jump and gasp and look in the back seat before I get into the car to go home.

And so I’m hoping this story does all of those things, while touching hearts with a powerful love story at the same time.  You’ll have to let me know if it does.

For those wanting more info on what’s coming up next from me, I’m taking a brief (very brief, I promise) detour from the paranormal realm to pay some overdue attention to my other best loved genre, romantic suspense.  This summer look for “The Secrets of Shadow Falls” series from MIRA.  This trilogy begins where my former one, which has come to be called the “Mordecai Young” series by readers, left off.  Many readers have been asking what happened to Dawn, the girl who could see dead people in those earlier books.  Well she’s back in these.  They are: KILLING ME SOFTLY in July, KILL ME AGAIN in August, and KISS ME, KILL ME in September.

After that, I’ll be back to the world of the undead with a duet you’ve been waiting for in 2011, or sooner if humanly (or inhumanly) possible.

Until then, enjoy HEART OF DARKNESS!

Keep visiting Harlequin’s Paranormal Romance Blog this week for more posts from the authors of Heart of Darkness, Gena Showalter and Susan Krinard! Until then, use the widget below to read excerpts from all three novellas in the anthology:

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Categories: paranormal books

Author Rachel Vincent’s paranormal YA series Soul Screamers continues with a new book about bean sidhes Kaylee and Nash, grim reaper Tod, and even more extraordinary characters — My Soul to Save, in stores now from Harlequin TEEN. But have you ever wondered what goes into creating a series like Soul Screamers? Rachel guest-blogs about some Soul Screamers secrets that gives you a glimpse into this writer’s creative world…

by Rachel Vincent, author of MY SOUL TO SAVE, book 2 of the Soul Screamers series (Harlequin TEEN, January 2010)

I’ve written three Soul Screamers novels so far, and one prequel novella, and I sincerely hope that from the outside, they look pretty polished, due in large part to the entire Harlequin Teen staff. But from the other side of the book shelf (my side, where the story comes from) the view isn’t quite so pretty. In fact, it’s often chaotic. And because the questions I hear most often concern the writing process (or other behind-the-scenes aspects) I thought I’d share a little of that chaos, and how I try to tame it. These are my Soul Screamers secrets:

• There was quite a body count in My Soul To Take, and I initially had trouble keeping up with them in the text. And because Kaylee had to refer back to them while she was putting the puzzle pieces together, I needed a way to keep everything straight. A way to remember what order the girls died in. My solution? Alphabetical last names. Seriously. They died in alphabetical order. Heidi Anderson, Alyson Baker, Meredith Cole, and Julie Duke. I can’t decide if I’m a genius, or the world’s biggest dork. You decide.

• I have issues with names. Seriously. Naming characters is HARD. Kaylee needed an Irish sounding name, but one that wouldn’t be hard to pronounce. In the end, I went with something simple and familiar, and fairly popular with actual American parents in the last decade.

Nash was more complicated. He had five previous names, and none of them seemed to fit. Unfortunately, the only one I can remember is Carter (weird, I remember the number, but not the actual names), which I ended up using for another character. But to be completely honest, even the name Nash doesn’t feel completely right to me. Even after seeing it in print. Maybe that means there’s more to Mr. Hudson than even I know so far…

Tod was easier. His name is one of the German translations for death. Similarly, Marg (from My Soul To Take) is Persian for death. Libitina (Libby, from My Soul To Save) is the Roman goddess of funerals.

Levi Van Zant (Tod’s boss) was originally named George, but my editor thought that was too similar to a character from an old series about reapers (Can you believe it?! I’ve never seen the show!), so I changed it to a name from the period of his actual life. His last name, incidentally, belongs to one of my husband’s co-workers. I loved his last name, and Mr. Van Zant said I could use it.

Sophie was originally named Sadie, but one of my agent’s other clients had just written a book about a character named Sadie, so I changed the name, just in case. Now, I can’t imagine Sophie with any other name.

• Titles are just as hard as names. Originally (way before submission ), My Soul To Take was called Soul Song. But when I googled the title, another recent book came up with that name, so I did some brainstorming and came up with not only a new title, but a title theme.

The only problem? There are so many Soul Screamers titles floating around in my head now that I tend to get them confused. More chaos, I tell you. So privately, I think of them by the color of their covers. There’s Green (MSTLose, the novella), Red (MSTTake), Blue (MSTSave) and Purple (MSTKeep) so far. And yes, that was a hint. I haven’t seen the final cover for My Soul To Keep yet, but it’s purple!

• Last of all, one event in My Soul To Save—a minor bit of chaos, or maybe just embarrassment—was inspired by my own real life. Or rather, my best friends. Have you read the book? Can you guess what it is? If you guess right, I’ll tell the story…

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Categories: paranormal books

Like shapeshifter romance novels? Then check out author Doranna Durgin’s Sentinels series from Silhouette Nocturne — and the latest installment, Sentinels: Wolf Hunt is on shelves now! Doranna guest-blogs with us today to fill us in on her newest Sentinel hero, Nick…

by Doranna Durgin, author of Sentinels: Wolf Hunt (Silhouette Nocturne, January 2010)

Ooh, boy. Wolves. Best shapeshifter fun ever, right? And here I am with not one, but two of them!

And the best part about that (because it gets better, at least for the writing!) is, they’re coming from separate worlds.

Nick Carter is one of my Sentinels. He hails from Brevis Southwest–well, that’s putting it mildly. He pretty much runs Brevis Southwest, even though technically he doesn’t hold that position. But the fellow who does, the Brevis Consul, hasn’t been truly paying attention for a while now. He’d notice if he thought Nick was stepping into his shoes out of turn, of course…hoo boy, yes. Snort and bother, you can imagine.

This leaves Nick in a bit of a dicey situation–protecting his people without giving away the game. And all while there are darker things afoot. If you saw the first two Sentinel books, you already know that the field Sentinels have been tripping up over inexplicable little drop-outs in communication and loss of backup. In fact, one could say that I’ve made life very difficult for certain characters. (And, that because I’m evil, I enjoyed every moment of it.)

When it comes to shapeshifters, Sentinels make up Nick’s world–it’s what he knows. So maybe it’s understandable that when he meets Jet, he believes her to be one of his own. In most important ways, she in fact is. But in another, truly crucial way…she is nothing the same at all. She comes from a different world; different understandings. Different foundations behind her decisions, her reactions, and what drives her life. Different beings.

So here’s Nick–a man driven to excel, and driven to responsibility, and driven in so many ways to hide what he is. I won’t use the word “repressed.” I think that’s so ugly, don’t you? Besides, he’s not, really. Just ask Marlee Cerrosa, who works IT at the Tucson Brevis HQ and whose hair stands on end every time Nick walks into the room. (If you want to talk repressed, though, we could take a good look at Marlee…)

No, Nick’s just got priorities. Hiding who he is, that’s one of them. It has to be–if he didn’t make some effort to do it, the otherness of his nature would draw far too much attention. If he hadn’t learned to think of Brevis first–his people first–he wouldn’t have kept the region intact in spite of the constant nibble of damage coming from within the system.

Then again, there’s such a thing as going too far.

But ahhh…Jet. Jet doesn’t question who she is. She doesn’t try to hide it. She doesn’t second-guess her instincts. There’s so much about the situation she now faces that she doesn’t understand, but she doesn’t fret about what she doesn’t know or what she can’t change. Jet is a woman driven to survive–and so very well-equipped to do just that. And Jet is a woman who knows what–and who–she wants.

And the thing they have most in common? That would be each other. Whether they know it or not.

Okay, that was the best shapeshifter fun ever.

PS Also, please to notice, best dramatic paranormal guy cover pose double
ever.

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